The replacement for the Rover SD1 started life inauspiciously as the LM15, a lengthened revamp of the Austin Montego. However, it was quickly evident that this would not cut it against other executive saloons and a new project started life. British Leyland knew that they needed a partner, and knocked on the door of Honda and signed an agreement in November 1981 for Project XX. Design was under Gordon Sked, with Roy Axe translating the ideas, and happily was allowed to diverge the Rover XX away from Honda's HX. A new 4-cylinder engine was developed out of the O-series unit gaining twin cams and optional fuel injection to become the M16 unit, and a Honda V6 took care of the upmarket cars. The Rover 800 was launched in the Alps in 1986, to comments that the Honda 2.5litre V6 was gutless and the Rover M16s unrefined. The first production cars were upmarket Sterlings or Rover 825 V6s and it took time to roll out the 820 and 820i models. In 1988 Honda improved the V6 as a 2.7litre unit and created the Rover 827; a new 5-door fastback body reminiscent of the SD1 was offered as well as a Vitesse version of the fastback. A new lower-priced Rover 820 was created with the fastback body and a carburrettor O-series engine. For 1992 Rover tried to take the 800 upmarket with the R17 reskin that also had chassis improvements. A new KV6 engine supplanted the Honda V6, and was a development of the 4-cylinder K-series engine fitted to the MGF. The Rover Coupe was launched in 1992, a long-awaited development that lost the dramatic style of the Roy Axe original during countless reworkings and ended up compromised by the Rover 800 it had to conform to. In 1996 the Rover 800 was given a restyle and in 1999 it was killed off.